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PRAIA, Cape Verde – INTERPOL Secretary General Ronald K. Noble has met with the Prime Minister of Cape Verde as part of efforts to strengthen national and regional law enforcement cooperation via the world police body against transnational crime threats.

During his first official visit to Cape Verde, Mr Noble’s talks with Prime Minister Jose Maria Neves, as well as other senior government and police officials, focused on boosting police training and capacity building by fully exploiting INTERPOL’s global tools and services to further empower police on the frontlines.

Secretary General Noble said enhancing regional collaboration with INTERPOL was important so as to better protect citizens and visitors from all forms of transnational crime.

“The authorities in Cape Verde understand that crime respects no borders and that strengthening international police cooperation via INTERPOL’s global network is crucial to combating cross-border crime and enhancing security in the country and region,” said Secretary General Noble, who was accompanied by INTERPOL Cabinet Director Roraima A. Andriani.

The INTERPOL Chief recalled how Cape Verde is part of project AIRCOP, an INTERPOL-led project financed by the European Union and Canada to establish effective communication and exchange of intelligence between participating countries. It aims to implement anti-drugs operations in eight international airports, including seven in West Africa (Ivory Coast, Cape Verde, Ghana, Mali, Nigeria, Senegal and Togo) and one in Brazil.

AIRCOP supports the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Regional Action plan in addressing the growing problem of illicit drug trafficking, organized crime and drug abuse in West Africa, in concert with countries in Latin America, West Africa and Europe.

Talks also took in INTERPOL’s West African Police Information System (WAPIS) programme, an EU-funded project which aims to support all 15 ECOWAS countries, including Cape Verde, in facilitating the collection, centralization, management, sharing and analysis of police information.

INTERPOL’s Travel Document (ITD) was also on the agenda during Mr Noble’s mission. The ITD allows INTERPOL officials and police to travel internationally on official business without requiring a visa when assisting countries in urgent deployments or transnational investigations into serious crimes. To date, 62 INTERPOL member countries have officially recognized the ITD, including 34 African countries.

Mr Noble also met with Cape Verde’s Director General of the Judiciary Police and Head of INTERPOL’s National Central Bureau (NCB) in Praia, Carlos Alexandre Reis, as well as NCB staff.

Enhanced capacity building and increased policing information exchange, nationally and regionally, were underlined as key areas for development by senior law enforcement officials earlier this week at the INTERPOL African Regional Conference in Oran, Algeria.

Cape Verde is the 171st member country Mr Noble has officially visited since he was first elected Secretary General in 2000.